Coping with the Stress and Anxiety Created by the Coronavirus Pandemic

Name: __________________________________________________

Student Number: _________________________________________

The COVID-19 pandemic can cause stress and anxiety because it is disrupting normal life for
many people all at once. While it is important to be informed and to take action to limit the
spread of infection, the amount of information and attention on this topic can increase stress
and anxiety. In the midst of COVID-19, it is increasingly difficult to avoid the bleak headlines
and bright-red news banners. Staying informed is, after all, one way many of us try to win back
a semblance of control. But while it’s natural to seek information about this unfolding public
health crisis, we must also take steps to protect our mental health.

With guidance from Dr. Keith Dobson, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of
Calgary, the Mental Health Commission of Canada compiled the following tips to help
Canadians protect their mental health.

1. Understand the fight-or-flight response

It’s normal to feel anxious in the face of a threat. Our body’s fight-or-flight response is designed
to keep us safe by heightening our response to perceived danger. Part of that response is the
release of stress hormones, which increase heart rate, blood pressure, and overall alertness.

The brain is continuously seeking new informational cues to re-assess the threat level.
Unfortunately, if we bombard ourselves with COVID-19 details, headlines, and images, we
reinforce the threat signal and perpetuate the stress response. Remember, the information we
allow in will affect how we feel ꟷ and we should monitor that intake with care.

Because of the impact stress has on our body’s immune system, managing it during a pandemic
is critical to the success of strategies designed to reduce contagion or the severity of the illness.

2. Be selective about news sources

Where we seek information matters! Credible sources, such as the Public Health Agency of
Canada and the World Health Organization give us plain facts to counteract the sensationalism
and fear-provoking imagery found in the news media. Updates from neighbours or other kinds
of hearsay are more likely to include selective attention to fearful cases and stories.
Carefully choosing our sources is the best way to ensure accuracy. While there is plenty of fact-
based content on social media, because of the way it works it is also much more likely to turn
hearsay into misinformation. The facts ꟷ as fluid as they may be ꟷ are essential to facing the
situation appropriately.

3. Consider the practical value of the information

Not all information is created equal. When we see images of workers in hazmat suits, empty
streets, and armed guards, our brains detect a threat and react accordingly. Unfortunately,
these images don’t have a lot of value, as they convey very little meaningful or useful
information. Where possible, focus on the facts in the story, not the extraneous details or
peripheral images.

4. Don’t discount the power of language

When the media reports that rates of infection are “skyrocketing,” for example, it can trigger
more anxious feelings than if they’d said “increasing.” Although it may be difficult, it’s
important to see through the sensationalistic language and focus on the message and the
practical takeaways. If a particular news source uses a lot of alarmist language, consider
avoiding that outlet altogether.

5. Set boundaries on news consumption

With such a rapidly evolving situation, it can feel like even a few hours without an update will
leave us in the dark. But while the information about COVID-19 is constant, it is also highly
repetitive. The more often we receive information, the more it will play on our minds, and the
more difficult it will be to disengage.

So try limiting your updates to between one and three designated times per day. In the interim,
make a concentrated effort to place your attention elsewhere. When it’s time to re-engage, it
won’t take long to catch up.

INSTRUCTIONS: With respect to the 5 tips provided above by the Mental Health Commission of
Canada, some of you may have followed the tips (either because you were explicitly aware of
the tips or because, though unaware of the tips, you naturally screened your COVID-19
information consumption). Others of you may have not followed the tips (either because you
were unaware of the tips or because, though aware of the tips, you chose to ignore them). In
approximately 300-400 words, comment upon how following or not following these tips has
impacted your mental wellness (or the mental wellness of a friend or family member that you
know well) during the COVID-19 pandemic. You do not need to comment upon all 5 of the tips.
Some of you may wish to comment in detail upon one or two of the tips, while others of you
may wish to comment more briefly on three of four of the tips (or all of the tips). The main
point to keep in mind is that I am looking for a well-considered, insightful discussion.

Write your response on this sheet, filling in your discussion under the appropriate tip(s).

1. Understand the fight-or-flight response:

2. Be selective about news sources:

3. Consider the practical value of the information:

4. Don’t discount the power of language:

5. Set boundaries on news consumption: